Ray & the Demolition Boys
by celestialgoddess13
Summary: After Ray's defeat by Bryan, Tala visits him in hospital and has an interesting proposition to make. What will Ray decide? RayXTala please R&R! chapter 9 is finally up!
1. A proposition

Goddess: I hope you like this, it is purely innocent..at the moment ^-^" Tala: wat WILL happen?? ¬_¬ Goddess: o Tala, u worry 2 much!! Tala: Do I???? ¬_¬ Goddess: Do u wanna do the disclaimer?? Tala: OKAY!! I mean..sure.. Goddess: ¬_¬ Tala: Wat?!?! Anyway, celestialgoddess DOES NOT own beyblade! Thankfully. Goddess: wat was that?? Tala: o, nothing.. ^-^"  
  
Ray lay in the hospital bed, after the defeat he suffered from Bryan of the Demolition Boys he was rushed straight to intensive care. He had just heard of Tyson's victory over Tala, and was very happy, but at the same time he wished that he could've been there to witness it.  
  
Mariah had stayed with him for the past few days, keeping the black-haired bladebreaker company, occasionally leaving for a few hours. But Ray hadn't seen her all day; he wondered where his friend was.  
  
Just when he was on an all time low, feeling lonely and helpless, someone vaguely familiar entered the room.  
  
"Uh.Ray? Can you hear me?" the voice was familiar as well, and as Ray adjusted his vision, he soon realised who it was.  
  
"T..Tala??" Ray questioned, quite surprised. The red-haired boy nodded.  
  
"I came to apologise, on Bryan's behalf," Tala explained.  
  
"Hn, thank you, but don't you think it's a bit stupid?" Ray quizzed. Tala was taken aback.  
  
"Wha.what do you mean?" Tala replied.  
  
"Well, you apologising. After all, your team lost," Ray explained.  
  
"Well, I know that, no need to rub it in my face!!" Tala huffed arrogantly, "I just came here to see if you were okay, that's all."  
  
"Somehow, that doesn't seem like the only reason you came here. I can't imagine one of Biovolt's strongest beybladers coming to visit one of their victims, let alone apologising!!" Ray had little faith in Tala, who would? Especially as it was his team that put him here.  
  
"Well, you got me there," Tala answered bluntly.  
  
Ray's eyes widened in anticipation, "Then what? What other reason do you have for coming to see me?"  
  
"Uh.well, I don't know if you've heard.but I've left Biovolt, I never wanted to be part of it anyway," Tala said, turning his head away. "But the thing is, Bryan hasn't.he told Spencer, Ian and I that he wouldn't leave." Tala seemed saddened.  
  
"Oh, I see.why did he choose to stay and train with Biovolt? And why did you choose to leave?" Ray was taken by surprise, but still didn't understand why Tala was telling him all this.  
  
"I hated being experimented on by Volitaire, he made me believe that the only thing I could do was destroy other beybladers, and take their bit- beasts. After battling with Tyson, and losing to his Dragoon, I realised what a huge mistake I'd made." Tala began to pace up and down by Ray's bedside.  
  
"I'm glad you feel that way, but what about Bryan? Didn't he feel that way, too?" Ray asked inquiringly.  
  
"You know Bryan, he's driven on power. Biovolt was his source, his derivation of strength. He could never leave." Tala looked tense, his paces slowed down, and eventually he took a seat on the chair next to Ray's bed.  
  
"I don't know what to say.but I'm still confused. What has this got to do with me?"  
  
Tala looked at the fanged boy, Ray looked back. "I was wondering." Tala began.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"If you wanted to join the Demolition Boys."  
  
Aaargh!! What will Ray say?!?! Tala: he's definitely going to say yes, hu cud resist my charms?? ^-^ Goddess: ¬_¬ Tala: what?! Goddess: okay readers, R&R, the more reviews I get, the more chapters I will write! You DO wanna find out what Ray says, don't ya? MUAH HA HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: geez, she's lost it. 


	2. Time to think

Goddess: Ah, the sequel to my cliffy! ^-^ Tala: thank you readers for reviewing, now I get 2 see what happens!! Goddess: ¬_¬ #giant mallet smash!# Tala: owey. X_x what was that for?! Goddess: don't be such a baby.^-^ Tala: hn.  
  
"I was wondering."Tala began.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"If you wanted to join the Demolition Boys."  
  
Ray immediately thought no. How could he do that to his team, after everything they'd been through together? But neither Tyson, Max or Kai came to visit him. Did they even care? Ray was starting to have doubts.  
  
He then realised Tala was staring at him, awaiting a reply.  
  
"I.I have to think about this, Tala," Ray finally blurted out. The answer didn't surprise Tala, he didn't expect Ray to just drop everything to join another team, without any notice whatsoever.  
  
"I understand," Tala said, standing up. "I'll be back, though."  
  
"Yeah, okay.see ya," Ray said his goodbye, and watched Tala leave the room. Why did Ray have to think about it? No. He couldn't leave the Bladebreakers, not for anything. Ray got tired of thinking, he yawned and rolled over onto his side, closing his golden eyes. He soon drifted into a peaceful slumber.  
  
"Ray? Ray?" a voice whispered in the distance. Ray furrowed his brows, he wanted to sleep longer, he wanted to draw out time. But this was to no avail, as the whispering figure started to talk louder.  
  
Opening his sleepy eyes, Ray's first vision of the new day was of a blonde- haired boy. The blonde laughed quietly, noticing how tired Ray was. Usually Ray was up quite early in the morning, so this was a surprising turn in events.  
  
"Max?" Ray asked. He then yawned and rubbed his eyes, enabling to make out his fellow teammate more clearly.  
  
"Hey, how are ya, buddy?" Just as Ray thought, Max was his usual cheery self and he held a brown paper bag in his hands.  
  
"Well.tired, I guess," Ray replied, wondering where the rest of the team were.  
  
"Don't worry, Tyson has just gone to the cafeteria with Kenny and Kai will arrive soon. Oh, and this is for you." Max handed Ray the brown paper bag. Taking it, Ray opened it and was quite surprised at what he saw.  
  
"Um.Max? Isn't it tradition to bring grapes to a hospital patient, not.." Ray pulled out a large fruit from the bag, ".a pineapple?"  
  
"Well, yeah." Max replied, scratching the back of his head, "but I figured you'd want something a little less.predictable."  
  
"And just how am I meant to eat it?!" Ray exclaimed, a little frustrated.  
  
"Um." and before Max could answer that very awkward question, in marched Tyson, holding a mound of chocolate bars with Kenny trailing along behind him, Dizzy in hand of course.  
  
"Hi Ray! I brought these for you!" Tyson told him chirpily, unloading every single chocolate bar onto his bed.  
  
"Hi Ty.thanks." Ray replied, feeling a little overwhelmed.  
  
"Well actually, I brought these for you." Tyson said, throwing a small sachet of salt and a spoon onto his bed, retrieving the chocolate immediately.  
  
"Wow.so many gifts, and they're so." the words 'stupid', 'inedible', 'spiky' and 'soup-scooping' came to mind, ".interesting."  
  
"Good!" Tyson said, stuffing the first of many candy bars into his mouth.  
  
"I hope you'll be out soon, Ray," Kenny said hopefully, "after all, there are some up-coming tournaments that we really need to train for."  
  
Ray gulped, he felt uneasy at the subject of the team. Would being a member of the Demolition Boys be such a bad idea? Maybe it was time to let go of the past, but he didn't want to be a traitor, like he was named before. At least his team had come to see him, which was something to hold on to.  
  
At that moment, Kai walked in. He wore his usual outfit and looked moody, but that was normal. He didn't say anything until he reached the side of Ray's bed.  
  
"How are you?" he asked, no emotion entering his voice.  
  
"Uh.. I feel a tad tired, but apart from that, mostly fine. Thanks for asking, Kai."  
  
"You're welcome. When do you think you'll be out of here? Did you know there are some tournaments soon? Every team in the world wants to challenge us after our victory over the Demolition Boys."  
  
"Yeah, I heard." Ray replied, still deep in thought. "I'm not sure when I'll be out, the doctors haven't said. But I'm sure I'll be out soon enough."  
  
"Well, that's a relief," Max said happily. But Ray wasn't so sure, he still hadn't made up his mind.  
  
"What's up, Ray? You look tense," Tyson interrupted, still eating chocolate.  
  
"Oh, nothing. It's nothing, really." the Driger-weilding boy replied, managing a small smile.  
  
Soon enough, Tyson, after eating every bar of candy, decided that it was time for them to leave. Max agreed, commenting that Ray needed some rest and Kenny said he would come back when he received more news of the tournaments. But Kai stayed, saying he'd catch up with them.  
  
"Ray, come on, I know something's bothering you, what is it?" Kai queried, sitting on the seat next to Ray.  
  
"I told you, nothing. And since when did the famous 'un-sociable' Kai start making conversation?" Ray asked, a slight smile on his face.  
  
"I know you better than anyone else, and I know you're lying to me," Kai ignored Ray's sarcastic comment and continued to question him.  
  
Ray turned away, out of shame. He knew that he couldn't just keep this a secret, especially not from Kai. "Okay, okay." Ray turned his head back round so he and Kai faced each other.  
  
Kai listened anxiously, as Ray began to speak.  
  
"I had a visitor yesterday."  
  
"Go on."  
  
Ray was apprehensive, but resumed to his explanation, "It was Tala."  
  
Kai's eyes widened, "Tala?" he asked in shock, "What did he want?" a tinge of bitterness crept into Kai's words.  
  
"He."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"He asked me to join the Demolition Boys."  
  
Goddess: No!! I hear you cry! Not another cliff-hanger! Tala: that's not fair! Goddess: but I am the mighty authoress!! Tala: yah, I guessed. Goddess: awww, poor ickle Tala is all upset! Tala: shuddap. Goddess: right, remember readers, the more reviews I get, the more chapters I will write! So I'm expecting at LEAST 15 before I continue..MUAH HA HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: oh brother. ¬_¬ 


	3. An answer

Goddess: So, well done readers, you reviewed! ^-^ Tala: I wanna see what happens!! Goddess: don't we all? Tala: do we have to do the disclaimer?? Goddess: if u want to. Tala: YAY!! ^-^ Goddess: ¬_¬ Tala: celestialgoddess doesn't own beyblade!! Goddess: on with the fic!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"He."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"He asked me to join the Demolition Boys."  
  
Silence. Kai, surprisingly stayed calm, after all, this was a hospital. He closed his eyes and leant back in his chair, crossing his legs and folding his arms. The common Kai seating pose.  
  
"What did you tell him?"  
  
"I.I said I'd think about it."  
  
Kai eyes immediately shot open, "What?! You'd think about it? What is there to think about?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Well, none of you had come to see me, I felt like I had been abandoned. Besides, it's not like I said yes or anything." Ray's voice just trailed off.  
  
"Well you might as well have!" Kai said, fiercely.  
  
"This is just what I expected from Tyson, or Max, or Kenny, but Kai.I thought that you of all people would understand me better than anyone else. You even said it yourself!" Ray replied, defending himself.  
  
"Maybe so, but I don't understand why you would want to leave us. Okay, so I haven't been the most encouraging, the most social, the most happy of leaders, but surely that's not a good enough reason to leave your own team!"  
  
"Look, Kai, this isn't about you, it's not even about the team. I just feel that maybe it's time for me to move on."  
  
"Oh, so you have decided then?" Kai replied in a hostile tone.  
  
"No! I mean yes, I mean..Oh for gods sake!! Why can't you understand?!" Ray exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, I understand alright." Kai stood up from the chair, "You're a traitor!!" he then left, leaving Ray alone with his thoughts.  
  
Ray couldn't hold the tears back, he wept into his pillow, wishing he could turn back time. He never meant for this to happen, so why did it? A pool of watery pain stained the cushion he rest on, he was so tired. he needed to fall asleep and come away from the world, even if it were for just a few hours.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Driger! Tiger claw attack!" Ray exclaimed, his bit-best fighting with that of another. A bright green glow surrounded the bey, a large white tiger arose and roared. Driger showed it's immense power.  
  
"Dragoon! Whirlwind attack!" Tyson shouted, ordering his bit-beast to emerge and destroy Ray's chance of victory. Tyson? Why was Ray fighting his teammate? Dragoon created a chaotic rush of wind, which swept Driger off the ground and into the air with such dramatic strength.  
  
"No! Driger!!" Ray called, before his beyblade was smashed into tiny fragments. Tyson laughed triumphantly.  
  
"A traitor like you never stood a chance."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ray snapped awake, sweat rolling in beads down his face. It was dark, it'd almost turned dark when Kai had left, 'It must be late,' Ray thought to himself.  
  
"What was that dream about anyway?" Ray whispered in the darkness of his private cubicle. But Ray was still tired and decided to go back to sleep, hoping the dream wouldn't haunt his mind again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Light shone through the window as Ray began to arouse, he felt his pillow still slightly damp with tears and swept his hand over his face. He felt a wash of moisture transfer onto his hand, tears from last night.  
  
"Hey, have you been crying?" Ray turned slowly and saw a figure standing at the doorway. It was Tala. Ray quickly wiped his hand on his pillow, and then turned it over so he lay on the dry side.  
  
"Oh, Tala, hi. No, I'm fine." Ray replied, as Tala walked over to him.  
  
"Are you sure?" Tala enquired further as he closely examined Ray's face.  
  
"Well, it's a long story."  
  
"Did you tell the others? About me visiting?" Tala asked, seeming quite concerned.  
  
"No, just Kai. He called me a traitor.it was just like when I left the White Tigers, he made me feel so ashamed of myself." Ray's golden orbs became shinier as tears once again appeared in them.  
  
"You shouldn't be ashamed, he was just angry. It's natural to feel like that." Tala tried to comfort the close to crying boy.  
  
"But it hurt, it still does. There's no way he'll ever accept me now. Not after what I said." droplets of water rolled down Ray's cheeks.  
  
"Oh, Ray." Tala sat down on the chair and brushed Ray's tears away with his hand. Tala sighed.  
  
"Do you think Kai will tell the others?" Ray queried.  
  
"Knowing Kai, I bet he'll never tell a soul. He'll wait until you tell them." Tala replied, hoping this would make Ray cheer up. "So, have you made your decision then?"  
  
Ray looked up at Tala. His brows furrowed as he scrambled to think of an answer. Was there any point in going back to the Bladebreakers? Kai would probably reject him.  
  
All of a sudden, Tala leaned down to Ray and their lips touched. It was like a pleasant dream washing away all of Ray's fears, the wolf-like redhead gently caressed Ray's cheek with his hand and deepened the kiss. Ray closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of contentment and tranquillity.  
  
Tala tenderly pulled away, and Ray's golden eyes opened once again.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes what?"  
  
"Yes, I will join the Demolition Boys."  
  
*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Goddess: omg! Omg! Omg!  
  
Tala: u wrote the damn thing!  
  
Goddess: yeah.but im still shocked!  
  
Tala: didn't I tell u that my charm worked? ^-^  
  
Goddess: ¬_¬ u r sooo full of urself!  
  
Tala: ah, shuddap.  
  
Goddess: I am expecting lotsa reviews, so plz R&R!!  
  
Tala: evil.  
  
Goddess: MUAH HA HA HA HA HA!!  
  
Tala: there she goes again. ¬_¬ 


	4. Introductions

Goddess: so, here we are again, eh? Tala: I guess so. Goddess: well, I can't wait to see what the Bladebreakers think of this move. Tala: I'm quite a good kisser. Goddess: ¬_¬" Tala: ah, shuddap. Goddess: ANYWAY, on with the fic I think! Tala: shedoesn'townbeyblade!! Goddess: thank you 4 that.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes what?"  
  
"Yes, I will join the Demolition Boys."  
  
"I'm glad you say that." Tala replied, smiling.  
  
Did Ray have doubts? No, of course not. Kai had called him a traitor and that was it. How could they ever be on the same team ever again? Ray had made the right decision, but he still had to tell them.  
  
Just then, a doctor walked in, "Okay Mr.Kon, your situation looks much better. You should be able to leave in about two days if that's ok."  
  
"Oh, that's great doctor, thank you," Ray answered, before he walked back out again.  
  
"That's perfect then, isn't it, Ray?" Tala questioned, "you'll be able to tell your ex-teammates the bad news in two days."  
  
"Yeah, that's perfect." there was a hint of sadness in Ray's voice, but that was to be expected. After all, he'd been with the Bladebreakers for a while and they'd shared some good times together. They were all like best friends, well not anymore.  
  
"Look, I have to go now, but I'll be back for you in two days, ok?" Tala told Ray, getting up slowly.  
  
"Oh, okay." Ray replied quietly.  
  
Tala smiled, then bent down, kissing Ray on the cheek. A blush spread over Ray's face as Tala said goodbye. Ray was alone.again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Those two days seemed to pass like years, only Mariah visited and even then she only talked about herself. The only thing that Ray could do to pass the time was sleep, he had no one to talk to because it was a private cubicle, and even when Ray did sleep, it wasn't for very long.  
  
The nightmares still haunted him.  
  
"A traitor like you never stood a chance." it was Tyson's voice again, but this time Max, Kenny and Kai stood with him.  
  
"How could you leave us, Ray? We're meant to be your friends." Max added, scowling at his former teammate.  
  
"We were going into the tournament together, as a team. How could you betray us?" Kenny asked, sorrow filling his voice.  
  
Kai however, had no pity, had no remorse. He simply stood there, firing a fierce glare at Ray. "Oh I understand alright.you're a traitor!!"  
  
"A TRAITOR!"  
  
"A TRAITOR!"  
  
The words echoed in Ray's mind, they wouldn't stop tormenting him. "A traitor.a traitor.a traitor."  
  
"No! I'm not a traitor, I have to make my own choices in life. Don't you see? I never meant to hurt you!" Ray called to his ex-friends.  
  
But it was no use, they couldn't hear.  
  
They couldn't hear, and then they were gone.  
  
It still pained him whenever he remembered the nightmares, he didn't want to lose his friends, but at the same time he didn't want to stay in the team.  
  
Today was the day that he was due to come out of hospital. He sat in the waiting room by the reception with a bag of belongings, dreading what was to come. The only thing he did look forward to was seeing Tala again, his wolf-like face and his fiery red hair. And he was so gentle, it's hard to believe that someone as kind as him was ever involved with Biovolt and Voltaire.  
  
At that moment, Tala entered the waiting room and looked around, searching for Ray. He wasn't wearing his normal outfit of white uniform with blue sleeves, an orange stripe lining the trousers, but rather more Chinese clothes. These were similar to Ray's, but tighter and red, rather than white.  
  
"Ray!" Tala finally exclaimed, running over to the new member of the Demolition Boys. Tala gave Ray a warm, welcoming hug.  
  
"Tala, I missed you." Ray said, happy now both boys were reunited once again.  
  
"Oh, I missed you too, Ray-koi." replied Tala, softly kissing Ray on the lips. Other people in the waiting room looked at them, but they didn't care.  
  
They then ended the kiss, "So I'm your koi now?" Ray asked, smiling and blushing at the same time.  
  
"Of course! And I'm glad to say, you look much better. Shall we go?" Tala questioned.  
  
"Yeah," Ray then picked up his bag and together, Tala and Ray walked out of the hospital hand in hand.  
  
"So.where are we going exactly?" asked Ray, as they walked to the car park outside the hospital. Tala looked at his koi as they continued to walk.  
  
"We're going to Tyson's home," Tala answered.  
  
"What? So.I have to tell them today?"  
  
"Yeah, unless you don't want to that is." Tala had a way of persuading people.  
  
"Oh, no that's fine. I wanted to see them after I got out of there anyway."  
  
"Good, we'll go by car." And that's when they stopped walking. A large limo was parked outside, and this was their form of transport.  
  
"Is.this yours?" Ray asked, quite shocked.  
  
"Oh, yeah, it's no big deal though." Tala replied coolly.  
  
"No big deal?! What are you on about?! This is a limo for crying out loud!!" Ray exclaimed, as Tala opened the door.  
  
"After you, Ray-koi," Tala let Ray go first. Ray gave up in trying to explain to Tala that owning a limo WAS a big deal, as he didn't seem to be listening.  
  
Once Ray climbed in, two other boys greeted him. Spencer and Ian sat opposite Ray, as Tala climbed in after his koi and ordered the chauffeur to drive to where Tyson Granger lived.  
  
"You remember Ian and Spencer don't you?" queried Tala.  
  
"Uh.yeah, Spencer fought Kai in the first round of the Russian tournament finals, but I don't know Ian." Ray answered.  
  
"Oh yes, he didn't participate, did he?" Tala asked himself.  
  
"But I'm still a valuable member of the team," Ian intruded.  
  
"We all are, Ian! And now, we can forget about Bryan and welcome Ray as a new blader in the Demolition Boys."  
  
"Yeah.I never liked Bryan anyway. He always seemed a bit too evil if you ask me." Spencer told them, looking out the window.  
  
"That's because Biovolt made him that way. They messed with his head, much more than they messed with mine." Tala replied.  
  
"Can we have at least one conversation that doesn't lead to us talking about Biovolt or Voltaire?!" Ian exclaimed, a little agitated.  
  
"Yeah.sorry. We should be fixing our sights on the future," Tala said to the short, blue haired boy.  
  
"Hn." Ian answered.  
  
Ray decided to break the awkward silence that hung in the air, "So when is the next tournament, then?"  
  
"You shouldn't worry about that yet, Ray." Spencer began, "lets focus on telling your team that you're no longer one of them first."  
  
Ray looked down at the floor, trying not to think about what the tall blonde had said. It was going to be awful telling them, he couldn't bare it if they called him a traitor.  
  
~~Flashback~~  
  
"A traitor like you never stood a chance."  
  
"How could you leave us, Ray? We're meant to be your friends."  
  
"We were going into the tournament together.how could you betray us?"  
  
"Oh, I understand alright.you're a TRAITOR!!"  
  
~~End Flashback~~  
  
Suddenly the limo came to a halt, Ray looked out the window. It was Tyson's house, they'd arrived.  
  
"Oh look, we're here." said Tala.  
  
Goddess: so, do you think Ray will go thru with it? Tala: of course! Goddess: well, I wouldn't be so sure.. Tala: why..??? ¬_¬ Goddess: oh, no reason. Tala: HEY! You can't do that!!! Tell me!!! Goddess: hrmmm.let me think.no. Tala: @_@ Goddess: hehehehe..plz R&R! I want lotsa reviews from u b4 I continue! Tala: are you going to do your evil laugh again?? Goddess: .....MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: oh boy. 


	5. Bringing up the courage

Goddess: ooh, I'm lookin' forward 2 this 1!! Tala: me 2 -gets out popcorn- Goddess: hey! Can I have some?? Tala: ....no. Goddess: _ -giant mallet smash!!- Tala: ouch. Goddess: -takes popcorn- thank u! ^-^ Tala: ¬_¬ grrrr.  
  
Goddess: oh yeah, I'd like 2 thank:  
  
Devlinn Reiko=Bryan/Rei luver - u were the 1st 2 review the fic, SO THANX!  
  
Tala: u quite finished now? Goddess: I don't own beyblade, here's the fic!!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Suddenly the limo came to a halt, Ray looked out the window. It was Tyson's house, they'd arrived.  
  
"Oh look, we're here," said Tala.  
  
Ray didn't say anything, he was scared, anxious, but at the same time he needed to do this, it was only fair.  
  
"Shall we come out with you, Ray?" asked Tala, concerned for his koi.  
  
"Yeah, it'll be easier with us with you," added Spencer.  
  
"We know how hard this is for you." Ian told him.  
  
Ray sighed, "No. This is something I have to do alone." and Ray made his way towards the door.  
  
Tala quickly pulled him back by his shirt and softly kissed him, "You can do this, Ray. I know you can."  
  
Ray smiled weakly and climbed out of the car. He shut the door behind him and made his way to Tyson's front door. He could hear voices coming from inside, they were cheerful voices, unaware of what was to come.  
  
Ray knocked at the door steadily, his hands were shaking slightly. Ray had never been so nervous about anything before, usually his mind was focused and determined. Well not today.  
  
"Oh, hi Ray! You're out of hospital already?" greeted Tyson, after answering the door. Kai obviously hadn't informed them of the bad news. Tala was right.  
  
"Uh.yeah," Ray replied uneasily.  
  
"Come in, we're all here. I'm sure everyone would love to see you!" Tyson took hold of Ray's arm and dragged him inside.  
  
'This will be more difficult than I expected.' Ray thought, as they got to the living room. Max and Kenny were sat on the floor while Kai leaned against the wall.  
  
"Ray!" Max and Kenny exclaimed, running towards him. Kai simply ignored him, it was no wonder really.  
  
"Hi guys." Ray greeted them feebly; he found it harder and harder to pluck up the courage to tell them. They seemed so happy to see him.  
  
"So how are you feeling?" Max asked cheerfully.  
  
"Do you feel okay to train for the tournament?" inquired the Chief.  
  
"Guys, guys, calm down will ya? It's only me!" Ray tried to force a smile although he felt rotten to the core.  
  
"Hey, Kai! Don't you wanna say hi to Ray?" Tyson asked, calling across the room to where Kai stood moodily, his eyes firmly closed.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Kai! You should be happy that Ray is out of hospital, those Demolition Boys really did some damage!" Max added.  
  
This continued to make Ray even tenser. "Look, you guys.there's something I need to talk to you about." Ray's serious voice soon calmed the Bladebreakers down, as everyone (excluding Kai) sat down to listen.  
  
"So what's all this about, Ray?" Tyson asked, quite concerned.  
  
"If you're worried about the tournament, don't be! Dizzy is collecting information on other beyblade teams as we speak," Kenny pointed to his laptop, which sat next to him.  
  
"Or if you still feel weak, it's ok. We can take it easy in the training department, right?" Max joked, hinting that no one wanted to train as hard as Kai did. Tyson and Kenny laughed at this remark.  
  
"No! It's not any of those things, just listen!" Ray demanded. The room fell silent.  
  
"Sorry Ray, go on." Kenny told him.  
  
Ray sighed, "Okay, right." all eyes were fixed on the Chinese blader. "The day before you came to visit me."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I had a visitor." then Kai decided to get chatty.  
  
"It was Tala," Kai said bluntly. Ray lowered his head, why couldn't Kai just stay out of it? He had done so far.  
  
Tyson was the most shocked. He did face him in the finals after all. "Tala?! Is this true, Ray?"  
  
"Yes.he wanted to ask me something," Ray continued.  
  
"Oh yeah, what?" just like Kai, a hint of bitterness entered Tyson's voice.  
  
"He, he asked me..if I." Ray struggled to get the words out, it was so difficult.  
  
"Come on, what did he ask you?" Max interrupted.  
  
"Tala asked him if he wanted to join the Demolition Boys," Kai blurted out. There was a long pause, Ray felt ashamed.  
  
"Wh.what did you say? You told him no, right?" Tyson asked frantically.  
  
"Of course he did, he's part of our team," Max reassured.  
  
"Go on Ray. What did you say exactly?" Kai questioned harshly.  
  
"I.said yes." Ray confessed. He felt pricking at his eyes.  
  
"WHAT?!" Tyson stood up, fuming with rage. Not even Kai was this angry.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I need to move on," Ray tried to defend himself.  
  
"No, no, you CAN'T have! Wh.why?! We're a team Ray, doesn't that mean anything to you?" Tyson continued to rave.  
  
"But Ray," Max broke in, "I don't understand. What reason do you have to leave us?" at least Max stayed calm.  
  
"It's like when I left the White Tigers, I need to learn new things, meet new people.I can't do that when I'm with you."  
  
"But why? We could travel, do all those things, just don't leave us, Ray!" Kenny told him, also getting up.  
  
"Don't worry about him, he's not worth it," Kai said, brutally.  
  
Ray stared at Kai, he couldn't hold back the tears. How could his friends not understand? Maybe they weren't his friends, no, how could they be? If they couldn't see, then there was no point in trying.  
  
Ray stood up and wiped his golden orbs. "I'm leaving."  
  
"No, Ray! Please don't go!" Max ran in front of him so he couldn't move forwards anymore. Max placed his hands on Ray's shoulders, holding him in place.  
  
"Let go."  
  
"No, Ray. I won't let you leave!" Max argued, beginning to cry as well.  
  
"I'm not letting you go, either," Tyson added, overcoming his stubbornness and standing with Max. He truly didn't want Ray to leave.  
  
"C'mon Ray, we can work through whatever is going on inside that head of yours, lets just stay together, okay?" Kenny told him.  
  
"You just don't get it, do you?" Ray growled angrily.  
  
"What is there to get? We're your friends and we're your team!" Tyson explained, trying his best to get Ray to stay.  
  
"How can you be?!" Ray shouted, taking the Bladebreakers by surprise. Ray didn't get angry very often. "I need to leave, and if you don't let me do that, we can never be friends!!"  
  
Ray shoved Max and Tyson aside, storming out of the room and tears flowing freely down his cheeks.  
  
"TRAITOR!" Ray heard Kai shout from inside.  
  
'No, I'm not a traitor.' Ray said to himself, over and over again.  
  
Ray ran as fast as he could back to the limo, where Tala stood outside it waiting for his koi to return. He was shocked when he saw Ray running towards him, crying helplessly.  
  
"Ray?" Tala whispered. Ray embraced Tala as soon as he reached him, weeping into his Chinese style shirt. Tala wrapped his arms around Ray, hushing him as watery pain seeped into the red material.  
  
"Please, Tala.." Ray gasped through sobs, "never leave me."  
  
"Don't worry, Ray-koi, I'll never leave you.never."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Goddess: oh no, poor ray! Tala: at least I was there to comfort him, eh? Goddess: yeah, ure so lovely! ^-^ --glomp glomp- Tala: whaaa!! Ur.strangling meeee!! @_@ Goddess: oopsie, sorry! Tala: its ok, so.how many reviews do you want now? Goddess: hrmmm, not sure, but quite a few b4 I continue! ^^ Tala: ¬_¬ Goddess: MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: why did I ever offer to do this?? 


	6. Together at last

Goddess: thank you reviewers! ^-^ uve made me sooo happy! Tala: yes, ever so happy! Goddess: what r u, an echo? Tala: what r u? An echo?? Goddess: SHUT UP!! Tala: no, U SHUT UP!! Goddess: o for pity's sake, here's da fic! Tala: she doesn't own beyblade! Goddess: damn right! ^-^  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Please Tala." Ray gasped through sobs, "never leave me."  
  
"Don't worry Ray-koi, I'll never leave you.never."  
  
Ray was still weeping uncontrollably when Tala told the chauffeur to take the team to their house on the other side of town. Their original home was in Russia, well it used to be. The Demolition Boys decided to move to Japan, just in case Voltaire or Boris decided to come after them.  
  
Once they had reached the house, Ray had calmed down but Tala was still holding him in his arms. The house looked quite big from the outside, but when Spencer opened the door, it was just like a mansion.  
  
The hall was huge, a large staircase running up the middle leading right and left. The floor was wooden, shining like it had just been cleaned and there was even a butler, ready to take Ray's bag to his new room.  
  
"Wow.this place is huge." Ray sighed, his eyes sore and red from crying so much.  
  
"Yeah, well you'd be amazed how much money we all got from Biovolt!" Spencer smiled, and then walked into the lounge. Ian followed him while Tala showed Ray to his room.  
  
"So, where do I stay then?" Ray asked curiously, as they walked up the staircase.  
  
"You'll be staying in the room next to mine, is that okay?" Tala asked, turning right at the top of the flight of stairs.  
  
"Can't I.stay with you?" Ray questioned, feeling a little embarrassed.  
  
Tala smiled, "I hoped that you would say that," Tala then kissed Ray gently, as always, on the lips. Ray blushed slightly, enjoying the attention he received from his koi.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Of course. Who wouldn't enjoy the company of a beautiful angel sleeping next to them on a cold night?" Tala definitely knew how to charm Ray.  
  
"Beautiful angel? Who are you talking about?" Ray asked, as if he didn't know.  
  
"Don't be so modest, Ray-koi," Tala said, smiling. "Oh, here we are."  
  
Tala and Ray had reached a room. Opening the door, Tala led Ray inside and showed him around. A large four-poster bed rest on the left of the room, light blue drapes were suspended from the top. A bookcase stood at the far end of the sky blue room, displaying knowledge and wisdom. An en suite bathroom was adjoined onto the right hand side of the chamber.  
  
"This is.beautiful." Ray managed to say. This was far more than what he had as a child in his hometown.  
  
"A beautiful room for a beautiful guy, eh?" Tala laughed, lacing his arms round the shorter boy's waist.  
  
"As you keep saying."  
  
"I don't lie, Ray-koi."  
  
"Neither do I, Tala-koi."  
  
The two boys kissed, somehow Ray's depression and sadness vanished whenever they did that. Tala deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into the cavern of Ray's mouth. Ray purred just like the neko-jin he was, it made Tala more and more hungry for him.  
  
All of a sudden, a girl bumped into them, breaking the kiss.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Please forgive me, it was an accident, I swear-"  
  
"Calm down, calm down. I know it was an accident. I forgive you, now please return to your duties," Tala told the girl, who was red all over.  
  
"Of course sir," she replied, before scurrying off timidly.  
  
Ray was confused, "Who was that?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, that was our maid. Her name's Aki, she's quite shy but really clumsy."  
  
"You have a maid, too? Next you'll be telling me you've got the cavalry outside!" Ray laughed. So did Tala.  
  
"Lets go downstairs, the butler will bring your things up here in a minute."  
  
"Okay," Ray agreed, they both then walked downstairs.  
  
Spencer and Ian were sat in the lounge, each boy were drinking a glass of coke each. They were talking about beyblading and when would be the best time to train.  
  
"Oh, hi Tala, hi Ray," Spencer greeted both boys as they entered the room.  
  
"Hi, what are you guys doing?" Tala asked, sitting down. He then patted the couch twice signalling for Ray to sit beside him.  
  
"Nothing much. Hey Tala, when is the next tournament?" Ian asked, before taking another swig of coke.  
  
"I think it's in about a month or so," Tala replied, before turning to Ray, "Uh..do you want a drink of anything? Something to eat maybe?"  
  
"I'll have a glass of water, thanks. But I'm not really hungry."  
  
"Okay then," Tala said, "Kuno!" he exclaimed.  
  
A butler walked over to Tala, "What is it that you need, sir?"  
  
"A glass of water please."  
  
"As you wish sir," and with that, Kuno walked into the kitchen. In a flash he was back, a crystal glass in hand filled with pure fresh water. He handed it kindly to Ray, who accepted it gratefully.  
  
"Ah." Ray sighed after taking a sip of his drink, "really nice digs you've got here."  
  
"Great, isn't it?" Spencer replied, "there's even a state of the art bey dish outside!"  
  
"Cool! Really? I'll have to see that." Ray commented. He had a feeling that he would like it here.  
  
"There's also one inside for when it's raining," Ian added, obviously proud of the house. But who wouldn't be? It had absolutely everything.  
  
"So how does it feel to be part of the Demolition Boys?" asked Spencer, directing the question at Ray.  
  
"It feels good. I really like it here, it feels like home, y'know?"  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean. And we'll do everything we can to make you feel at home," Spencer replied, running his hand through his blonde hair.  
  
"Thanks, that means a lot to me," Ray said blissfully, innocently smiling.  
  
"But it doesn't mean we're gonna go easy on you in training, just because you're new," Ian told Ray, killing the mood.  
  
"Ian! Give the guy a break, he's just got out of hospital!" Spencer said, knocking him on the head.  
  
"Ouch! Yeah, whatever."  
  
"Uh.do you mind if I go and freshen up? I bet I stink of hospital!" Ray asked, trying to restore a happy atmosphere.  
  
"Oh, not at all," Tala replied, "can you remember where our room is?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine." Ray then got up, placing his glass on the coffee table in the centre of the floor. He walked out of the room and up the stairs, opening the door to his room. Closing the door behind him, he walked to the bathroom and began to run a bath. He strolled back into the bedroom.  
  
Ray sighed, removing his headband and bandages. He felt tired and yawned, then resumed to getting undressed. He took off his shirt and then his trousers, leaving them in a heap on the floor. Just when he was about to pull down his boxers, Aki burst in through the door.  
  
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, dropping a basket of clothes onto the floor. "I'm so sorry sir, I will leave straight away.  
  
Ray went red, but walked over to Aki and helped her to pick up the clothes.  
  
"It's okay, really," Ray smiled, "you weren't to know."  
  
Aki blushed, "Thank you for your forgiveness sir, I apologise again." Ray handed her the last shirt from off the floor.  
  
"There you go."  
  
"Oh, thank you sir." Aki blushed again, her dark blue hair shimmered as she lifted her head up. Her eyes were light though, hazel, similar to Ray's.  
  
"Please, call me Ray," the black haired boy told her.  
  
"Oh, then thank you.Ray."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Aki then left the room, Ray smiled to himself. 'Nice girl.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Goddess: so, wat did you think? Tala: I can't help but notice that I didn't really say much in that chapter. Goddess: wat?! Of course u did!! Tala: yeah, whatever. ¬_¬ Goddess: so this time readers, I want lots more reviews b4 I continue!! Tala: this is getting way out of hand now. Goddess: MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: omg. 


	7. Brisk Autumn

Goddess: wow, im overwhelmed, I really am! Tala: r u talking about ALL da reviews uve received?? Goddess: what else?! ^^ Tala: freak. Goddess: whatever.here's da fic! Tala: --in song-she doesn't own beeeeeeeeyblaaaaaaaaade!! Goddess: 0_o  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Oh, then thank you. Ray."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Aki then left the room, Ray smiled to himself. 'Nice girl'.  
  
Ray then undressed himself completely and walked into the bathroom. Steam had condensed on the mirror and windows because the bath water was so hot. Ray poured some milk and honey bubble bath into the water and lowered himself into the mixture, enjoying the scent of the water.  
  
Ray sighed in contentment, it was so peaceful here. The bubbles foamed and covered Ray's torso as Ray ducked his head underneath the water. He rose to the surface and reached for a towel to dry his eyes. Putting it back, Ray extended his arm towards a bar of pure white soap and rubbed it all over his body.  
  
He felt clean; he didn't feel like a 'traitor' like he'd been called.  
  
'I wonder if Tyson will participate in the tournament, too.' Ray thought to himself, sprinkling droplets of water on his chest. 'What am I saying? Of course he will, but he needs to find a new member for the Bladebreakers first. Or maybe he doesn't, only three bladers are needed in each round after all.'  
  
After feeling fully refreshed and revitalised, Ray decided to leave the comfort of the bathtub to get dressed and regroup with the other members of his team. He wrapped a towel around his waist upon leaving the scented water, and drained the bath so that all but a few bubbles disappeared.  
  
He stealthily walked back into the bedroom, drying his long black hair as he did so. When he reached the bed, he noticed a piece of paper lying on the pillow. Intrigued, Ray picked it up and read the writing scribbled all over it. It read:  
  
'Ray, thank you for being so kind to me. You really didn't need to help me. But you have my gratitude all the same. Aki. p.s. please don't tell master Tala about this letter. Thank you again'  
  
Ray finished reading it, 'she must've put it here while I was in the bath.' he thought. 'She's such a nice girl, but I wonder why she doesn't want me to tell Tala about the letter.?'  
  
Once Ray had dried his hair completely, he tied it up in the same style as he always did. He got dressed in an outfit of a blue Chinese shirt with a red dragon imprint on the side and a pair of loose white trousers.  
  
He made his way downstairs, but on the way down he bumped into Aki. Or rather, she bumped into him.  
  
"Oh no, not again! I'm sorry, sir, I'm so clumsy." Aki once again rambled on and on about how sorry she was.  
  
"Aki, Aki, calm down! It's fine, honestly. I wasn't looking where I was going, and please, call me Ray."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Ray. I just get so wrapped up in my work I get all clumsy and forgetful."  
  
"Don't worry about it. You're very good at your work," Ray told her, smiling. "Oh, and I found your letter."  
  
Aki looked at the floor and blushed, she felt quite awkward.  
  
"Why don't you want Tala to know about it? It's perfectly innocent."  
  
"I know, I think so too si- I mean Ray. But if I know master Tala, he would probably scold me and fire me. I just felt that you were a nice person, I wanted to say thank you for helping me," Aki explained.  
  
Ray blushed and laughed, "No, sure he wouldn't! He's not as bad as you think, y'know!"  
  
"Okay, if you say so. But please, Ray, don't tell him," Aki pleaded. Her eyes looked so desperate.  
  
"Of course I won't."  
  
"Thank you again Ray," Aki bowed slightly, then returned to her tasks.  
  
Ray continued to walk down the stairs, wondering if there was more to Aki than she was letting on. But he didn't let it bother him anymore, once he walked into the living room and saw Tala waiting for him. Ray smiled.  
  
"Sorry I took so long, Tala-koi," Ray said, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"It's fine, really. You can take as long as you like. After all, you live here now," Tala reminded his koi.  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
"By the way, Ray-koi, I have to say.." Tala leaned in and whispered, "you look very sexy in that outfit.." Ray blushed vigorously.  
  
"Thank you, you're not so bad yourself.."  
  
Tala smiled. Then a voice was heard calling from behind them. It was Spencer.  
  
"Hey, will you two love birds stop that and sit down? We need to discuss our training schedule for the next month," he explained.  
  
It kind of ruined the amorous atmosphere, but being part of a world- renowned team wasn't all flirting with the team captain.  
  
"Okay, you win," Tala gave in, sitting down with Ray on the leather couch.  
  
"Right, I think we should have a strict training routine," commented Ian.  
  
"Oh yeah? How strict?" Tala asked, with a tinge of bitterness.  
  
"Well, I propose that we all get up early in the mornings, say 6am." Ian began. Tala right away didn't like the sound of this; he sighed and rested his head in his hand.  
  
"Tala! Look alive, you're meant to be the leader of this team!" Spencer exclaimed.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry guys. But you know I'm not a morning person!" Tala replied.  
  
"So you're more of a night person, eh?" Ray questioned seductively, a smile creeping across his cat-like face.  
  
"Oh yeah.." Tala returned the smirk.  
  
"Can we please FOCUS people?!?" Ian was beginning to get extremely impatient with the two flirts.  
  
"Ian, calm down! Can we concentrate on training tomorrow? There's no rush, is there?" Tala asked, wondering why his teammate was getting so worked up.  
  
"I just want us to WIN this time! Is that so much to ask?!" Ian shouted, taking the other Demolition Boys by surprise.  
  
"What are you implying? That our loss against the Bladebreakers was MY fault?! At least I got up and fought!" Tala shouted back.  
  
"Look, all I'm saying is that to win we really need to train this time. Ray knows the Bladebreakers' moves, he could teach them to us."  
  
"How do you know they'll even be entering in the tournament?" Tala countered.  
  
"Oh, come on Tala! Even I didn't think you could be so stupid!! Of course they'll enter, mark my words."  
  
"Lets all chill, okay?" Spencer told them, breaking the tension, "It's getting late, how about we go to bed and figure this whole thing out in the morning?"  
  
"Fine with me," Tala agreed bluntly. Ian said the same.  
  
"C'mon Tala," Ray said, taking his koi's hand in his own. They both walked up the stairs together; Ian and Spencer following close behind.  
  
Once Ray and Tala had reached their room, they walked inside and Tala fell back on the bed in exhaustion. He sighed heavily.  
  
"Awww, is my Tala-koi all tired?" Ray asked in a babyish voice.  
  
"It's just Ian! He makes me so mad sometimes." Tala replied. Ray started to get undressed, Tala smiled.  
  
"What? You've never seen a guy undress himself before?" Ray asked with a smile.  
  
"Well.." Tala began, getting up and walking over to Ray, "not a sexy one.." Tala swiftly laced his slim arms round his koi's waist, as he was still trying to disrobe.  
  
"Tala! Please, I'm trying to get changed here!"  
  
"I know, and you're not fast enough!" Tala told him enticingly, his arms still wrapped around him.  
  
"You're very keen, aren't you? I only just got out of hospital!" Ray replied.  
  
"And I'll put you back there if you don't come with me - right - now.." Tala led Ray to the bed, and both boys sat down. Ray's face went bright red when Tala began to kiss him passionately.  
  
Tala's hands crept round to Ray's chest; luckily Ray had already taken his shirt off so it saved Tala the trouble of taking it off for him. Ray's hands moved onto Tala's back and he tugged at his shirt, longing for him to take it off. Tala smiled and broke the kiss, pulling back and looking at Ray.  
  
"You know, you're blushing.." Tala told him, tugging his shirt over his head.  
  
"Do you blame me?" Ray asked, lying back on the bed. His head hit the silk pillows and he sighed, watching Tala take his trousers off. He was left in only boxer shorts, and then he joined Ray on the bed, lying down next to him.  
  
"You're not gonna take your trousers off?" Tala asked his koi.  
  
"Only if you want me to.."  
  
"What kind of stupid question is that?"  
  
"You are such a pervert," Ray commented, starting to pull his trousers off.  
  
"Are you complaining?"  
  
"...... No, I guess not." Ray finished removing his outfit; both boys were left with just their underwear on.  
  
"Hey, nice legs." Tala told Ray, running his pale hand up and down Ray's right leg.  
  
"Hey, you!" Ray smacked his hand away, "don't go so fast! Lets go to sleep and I'll see how sexy I feel tomorrow."  
  
Tala hmphed, he was quite disappointed, but decided that there was no rush. Ray and Tala pulled up the covers and snuggled underneath. Tala turned out the lamp beside him and held Ray close to him.  
  
"Goodnight, Ray-koi, sweet dreams."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Goddess: wow, that was longer than expected. Tala: yup, but you didn't leave it on a cliffy! Goddess: 2 b honest, couldn't think of 1. Tala: oh, how interesting. Goddess: Do YOU wanna write it? Tala: ....no Goddess: then shuddap. Tala: ok. But how many reviews are you expecting now? Goddess: dunno, but a LOT! Tala: 0_o Goddess: .......MUAH HA HA HA HA HA!! Tala: why? Why laugh all the time? 


	8. Brewing Storm

Goddess: Ok, I'm just gonna get straight 2 the fic! Tala: she doesn't own beyblade! Goddess: plz R&R  
  


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* * *

  
"Goodnight Ray-koi, sweet dreams."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
The next morning, a small source of light crept into the boys' bedroom as the door was pushed ajar. Someone walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains, the dawn's light was enough to stir Tala.  
  
"Wake up, sir. The rest of your team are expecting you downstairs in half an hour," the girl told Tala, who had barely awakened.  
  
"What?" Tala's eyes adjusted to the morning shine and he saw Aki standing beside the bed. "Aki, what time is it?"  
  
"It's 6:00am sir," she replied. "Is that all?"  
  
"Yes, yes. You may leave now," Tala signalled for her to go by a wave of his hand. He gently shook Ray to see if he was awake. "Ray-koi? Wake up."  
  
Ray slowly opened his eyes, revealing the golden orbs that shone by reflection of the morning illumination. He yawned and saw Tala in front of him, telling him to get up.  
  
"Why? What time is it?" Ray asked sleepily, refusing to depart from the warmth of the covers.  
  
"It's 6:30, Ian must've ordered us a wake up call," Tala sighed. He then rose from where he once lay, and walked into the bathroom, leaving Ray in the comfort of the soft bed.  
  
"You'd better get up, too!" Tala called from inside the en suite bathroom.  
  
Ray groaned, he was still tired and wanted to curl back up and sleep for another couple of hours. But he knew he couldn't, so gradually he got to his feet and began brushing through his long, black hair. Once both bladers were washed and dressed, they made their way downstairs to where Ian and Spencer sat at the kitchen table.  
  
The kitchen was quite large, a long dining table on one side, a counter and many kitchen appliances on the other. The smell of bacon, eggs and all things fattening could be smelt frying as Aki prepared the Demolition Boys' morning meal. As Tala and Ray entered the kitchen, Aki looked up and smiled at Ray. Ray returned the gesture.  
  
"So what's with the wake up call then, Ian?" Tala asked his teammate bitterly, as he and his koi sat down.  
  
"What makes you think it's me?" Ian questioned, a slight smirk on his face.  
  
"Oh, come on! I know you did it, so there's no use in denying it!" Tala backfired.  
  
"Why are you so rattled? Annoyed you didn't get a lie in with your boyfriend?" Ian replied, emphasising the word 'boyfriend' as if to mock him.  
  
"Just leave him alone, Ian," commented Spencer, trying to reduce the risk of a fight. Instead he changed the subject, "Hey! We're hungry over here!" he shouted at Aki, who seemed to be struggling a bit.  
  
"Just..........wait a minute, it's almost done. Woah!" she exclaimed, a saucepan slipping from her fingers. Luckily, Ray had caught it before the food cooking on it fell to the floor.  
  
"Do you need some help?" asked Ray, thoughtfully. He handed the saucepan back.  
  
"No, no it's ok. I have everything under control.............." Aki suddenly knocked a plate off the worktop; it was about to smash until Ray caught it.  
  
"I'll rephrase that.........do you want some help?" Ray smiled. Aki laughed quietly and blushed.  
  
"Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here," Aki told Ray, as he served up the bacon and eggs.  
  
"No problem. In my house back in China I did all the cooking, cleaning, washing, everything. I know how hard it is for you, trust me!" Ray laughed, from the dining table Tala glared at the maid. His once light blue eyes had turned green with jealousy.  
  
'No one flirts with my koi,' he thought.  
  
Soon enough, everybody had their breakfast sitting in front of them and Spencer and Ian were already lapping it up as if they hadn't eaten in days. Tala was too busy watching Ray to eat, he was still talking to Aki and it just made Tala more resentful.  
  
"So, anyway, thank you for all your help Ray," Aki finished.  
  
"You're welcome, and if you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask, ok?" Ray grinned cheerfully, and Aki said thank you one more time before leaving to do the rest of her work. Ray then sat down to his well- earned meal, not noticing that Tala was glowering at him.  
  
"Ray?" Tala spoke in a harsh tone.  
  
"What is it Tala-koi?" Ray asked, finishing a mouthful of food. He looked up to see Tala wasn't smiling, he was just..........staring.  
  
"You and Aki............is there something you'd like to tell me?"  
  
"Aki? What about her?" he asked innocently.  
  
"You seem to be very..............close to her. Do you have a crush on her?" Tala hated to say it, but he needed to know.  
  
Ray was silent for a second. He then began to laugh hysterically, Ian and Spencer looked round and their expressions turned very confused.  
  
"Ray!! What are you laughing at?!?" Tala exclaimed, not understanding why Ray was having this outburst. Ray's sniggering slowly quietened down.  
  
"A crush? On Aki? Me? I am gay!!" Ray shouted at Tala, who now started smiling.  
  
"Yeah, but you seemed so chatty with her."  
  
"I AM GAY!! I'm with you, aren't I? Doesn't that say anything about my sexuality?"  
  
"Ok, fine. Lets just get to training," Tala told him. Ian and Spencer had already gone outside to where the bey-dish was, Tala and Ray followed.  
  
Ray was still slightly chuckling, Tala was so possessive. Did he really care that much? But Ray's thoughts were interrupted when Spencer shouted at him.  
  
"Hey, Ray, how about I take you on?" the blonde challenged.  
  
"Sure, but I'm warning you, I'm good."  
  
Tala smirked at how sexy Ray could be when he wanted to. He was also curious about how good he really was, could he stand up to Spencer? Especially after what Bryan did to him.  
  
Ian began the countdown, "3, 2, 1, LET IT RIP!"  
  
"Go Driger!" Ray exclaimed, launching his blade into the dish.  
  
"Go Seaborg! Show him what you're made of!" Spencer thrust the ripcord back, sending his beyblade spinning into the stadium.  
  
Both blades slammed into each other with tremendous force, sparks flew as the intensity grew higher between the two.  
  
"Come on driger, show him the power of the tiger claw!!"  
  
"Alright Seaborg, voda impact!"  
  
Pillars of beaming light shone from both blades, a large white tiger appeared from Ray's beyblade and from Spencer's emerged a large whale. Both bit beasts fought until the blades looked like they couldn't handle any more.  
  
Ray and Spencer were evenly matched, but Ray wanted to end this in his favour.  
  
"Driger!!" he exclaimed. This sent Driger pounding into the other blade, forcing it to exit the dish with a loud crash.  
  
"No, Seaborg!" Spencer cried as his beyblade landed beside him, damaged and partly broken. Driger then gradually stopped spinning inside the dish.  
  
"Wow, Ray! That was really good!" Tala complimented. Spencer looked angry as he picked up his trashed blade, but he accepted his defeat.  
  
"You're pretty good, Ray," Spencer told him blandly.  
  
"Hey, you're not so bad yourself, that was some awesome battle!" Ray replied.  
  
"Why don't we take a quick break?" asked Tala, who sensed that Spencer was quite annoyed at his loss.  
  
"Yeah, and then I'll battle you, Tala!" Ian told him confidently, giving him an evil stare.  
  
"Sure Ian, if you think you can handle it."  
  
Both boys stared nastily at each other for a while, before they all took a quick break. They were all served drinks and then Tala noticed Aki run upstairs.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute, you guys," he told them, before following the aqua haired maid.  
  
He had seen Aki walk into his bedroom, so he carefully took her same steps, opening the door. There stood Aki, making the bed as she did every morning.  
  
She spotted him at the door, "Oh, hello again sir. Finished your training so early?" she asked with a warm smile. Tala shut the door behind him and walked over to the girl.  
  
"No, I actually came to speak with you," he replied bitterly.  
  
"Is that so, sir? Well, what is it you'd like to speak with me about?" Aki laid down the sheets she was holding and looked straight into Tala's eyes.  
  
"It's about Ray."  
  
"Ray?"  
  
"Yes. What do you think of him?" Tala waited for an answer.  
  
"Well.................he's very kind, generous. Why do you ask, sir?"  
  
Suddenly, Tala slapped the maid across her delicate face and sent her to the floor. She gasped in pain and rubbed the tender spot with her hand. Aki looked up at her employer, he wasn't happy.  
  
"If you EVER speak to Ray again, you will pay a far worse price. Do you hear me?!" the redhead shouted. Aki didn't reply, she was too scared. "DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Tala repeated.  
  
Aki slowly nod her head, tears welled in her eyes.  
  
"Good. Now get back to work!" Tala told the girl, before leaving his room and slamming the door firmly behind him. Aki wept into her arms frantically, regretting ever talking to the black haired blader.  
  


* * *

  
Goddess: You've gone over to the dark side!! Tala: aw, shuddap. ¬_¬ Goddess: ok readers, shall I update? Reviews needed, thank u very much! Tala: evil evil evil evil Goddess: damn right, and I would like quite a few b4 I continue! Tala: please no evil laugh today... Goddess: .............MUAH HA HA HA HA!!! Tala: yep, I knew it............. 


	9. A breath of naivety

Goddess: thank you readers for all your very nice reviews that make me feel sooo happy!! And also for your astounding patience, I haven't updated in a while...  
  
Tala: You're right there...  
  
Goddess: are you mocking me?!?!  
  
Tala: of course not, now get on with the next chapter!!  
  
Goddess: fine!! I do not own beyblade, here's chapter 9!

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Tala ran downstairs, his poker face giving nothing away as he grinned to himself. 'That showed her,' he thought, evilly. The crimson haired teen then slowed down, walking calmly into the kitchen where he saw Ray sipping at a glass of water.  
  
"Where did you go, Tala?" Ray asked his boyfriend, seeing him walk in.  
  
"Oh, nowhere important," he replied, wrapping his long, slim arms around the raven-haired neko-jin.  
  
"Oh, okay," Ray then kissed his lover gently on the lips.  
  
Ian and Spencer cringed at their behaviour from the other side of the kitchen, staring daggers at the two teens.  
  
"Can't they leave each other alone for two minutes?!" Ian growled.  
  
"Hey, don't get so rattled! Fine, it may be disgusting but Tala says they're in love, so we'd better get used to it," Spencer told him.  
  
"Not if I can help it..." Ian replied, a sinister grin creeping across his face.  
  
"What are you planning, Ian?"  
  
"Never you mind, Spence. Hey, Tala!" he called.  
  
The scarlet-haired boy turned to the shorter blader and replied a bland,  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You said you would battle me! So lets do this already!!"  
  
Tala laughed slightly and let go of Ray, "whatever you say, but you'll be sorry!"  
  
Both boys made their way to the beydish that was located downstairs in the basement, Ian adjusted his Wyborg blade into its gun-like launcher as they casually walked down each step, Tala expressionless as Spencer and Ray followed behind.  
  
"Do you think they'll kill each other?" asked Ray to Spencer, not quite sure whether this battle should be going ahead. Spencer pushed back a lock of blonde hair and turned his gaze to the neko-jin.  
  
"Probably, they're both very competitive," he joked, letting a small laugh pass his lips. "But hey, I wouldn't worry because Tala is bound to win..." he whispered that part so Ian couldn't hear and this made Ray smile, they finally got down to level ground and both Ian and Tala got ready to launch.  
  
"You ready to feel pain, Tal?" Ian queried mockingly, holding his gun launcher on his shoulder and aiming the tip at the black stadium that lay before him.  
  
Tala smirked and stepped up to the dish as well, his crimson bangs fiery like his spirit but his eyes an icy cerulean as he stared intently at his opponent. He locked his blade into his equally attacking launcher and passed his tongue along dry lips. "Yeah, ready to feel YOUR pain..." he answered as they waited for the signal to begin.  
  
"Ok guys..." Spencer began, "3...2...1...LET IT RIP!" he called; an explosion of ferocity erupted between both boys as they shot their beyblades down into the dish, both spinning strong and Wolborg aiming it's first attack.  
  
"Wolborg...ice spears!" Tala called, a growl of intensity roaming his voice as he watched both blades carefully; he waited until just the right moment when Wyborg was off guard to call his attack, and the white ice wolf's howl was heard throughout the room like a piercing cry from Bryan's Falborg.  
  
Wolborg span rapidly, knocking into Wyborg with a gargantuan force before the wolf appeared above Tala's bey; it ran towards the opposing blade and smashed into it, knocking it off balance and coming at it from different sides. Wolborg was very fast and very strong, Tala knew that Ian would have to think fast to avoid another violent assault but he also enjoyed watching his teammates' facial expression as they fought.  
  
"Aaarrgh...come on Ian, think.." the short teen pleaded to himself, deciding that he would have to call upon his beast. "Ok, Wyborg, attack him now!!" he shouted, watching as a glow emitted from the surface of his blade. It wobbled from side to side but suddenly a huge serpent discharged from the blade, a gaping mouth revealing rows of ivory fangs that didn't waste their time clamping into the body of the challenging creature. Ian smirked and Tala grimaced, realising he'd have to somehow attack Wyborg to regain his strength.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute guys," Ray told them, smiling to Tala before walking back up the steps. Upon hearing this, the red head's ears twitched and his cerulean orbs widened and he remembered Aki upstairs.  
  
"No, Ray!!" he called after his koi, but he was too late as the raven haired teen had already climbed the remaining steps; he panicked but Ian was becoming restless, he couldn't leave the battle so he decided he would try and finish this now. "Damn..." Tala cursed under his breath, returning to the match at hand.  
  
"What's wrong, Tala? You afraid you're gonna lose?" Ian asked with a mocking tone to his voice. He smirked and awaited for Tala to lose his temper, he thought it quite amusing when he did.  
  
"No...shut up and lets finish this!" Tala retorted, bearing his teeth and looking back to Wolborg who was howling from Wyborg's attack. "Wolborg, finish him!!" he commanded, but the ice wolf could hardly move and the serpent kept clamping its fangs into the flesh of the beast. Ian grinned, hoping for a drawn out battle.  
  
Meanwhile, Ray walked through the upstairs hall of the house, he wanted to fetch a new base for Driger so next time when he fought he would win quicker and easier; he reached for the bedroom door handle and unlocked it, pushing the door open and stopping when he saw Aki slowly arranging sheets on the floor. They looked like they had been dropped and Ray could only see the back of her, he walked up to her smiling and knowing how clumsy she was.  
  
"Hi Aki, do you need some help there?" he asked, politely. He strangely got no reply, and the azure haired girl kept piling sheets into her arms before a sniffling noise could be heard. "Uh...Aki? Are you ok?" he asked, peering down to her and taking a step closer. Suddenly he furrowed his brows as he vaguely saw a bruise across her once flawless cheek, and her face tear stained or so it seemed.  
  
"Aki...what happened? Are you hurt?" he questioned, kneeling down beside her and watching as her trembling hands picked up pallid sheets and folded them, then placed them into her cradled arms. Strands of sapphire fell over her pained eyes as she turned her head away from the polite beyblader, she didn't want him to see her like this.  
  
"Aki, please! Tell me what's wrong, I can help!" he whispered, raising a hand to her shoulder gently and trying to see what was wrong. Aki shrugged his hand off though, as if she was frightened of something and that something was Tala. She rose gradually off the floor, leaving a few sheets behind but she just wanted to leave as soon as she could to avoid further interrogation. Turning her back on Ray, she walked towards the door with her white apron crumpled and her face tear stricken. She must never speak to Ray again, no matter how much she wanted to. She walked out the door and closed it behind her, leaving Ray watching the entrance in a stupor with his golden orbs brimming with concern and curiosity.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong...?" he whispered, hoisting himself off the floor and walking to the bedside table to search for that blade base; he rummaged around before pulling out a glimmering ice blue base, he'd bought it a while ago but had never used it and so now he decided he would put it to the test. Maybe he could beat Tala? This thought provoked a smile on the neko-jin's features and he shoved the base into his pocket, heading for the door.  
  
Once he had returned to the venue of battle, he saw Tala leaning against a wall holding his blade and he immediately rushed to Ray when he entered. "Ray! You're back, so where did you go?" he asked quickly, hoping he didn't encounter Aki on his travels.  
  
"Just upstairs to get a new base, so who won?" Ray replied, looking over to Ian who looked disheartened and a little angry. In fact, the answer was obvious but he wanted to make sure he was correct anyway.  
  
"I did, of course!" Tala replied, wrapping his arms around the waist of his koi and leaning in to kiss him on the lips. A blush spread across Ray's cheeks and he kissed back, Spencer and Ian looking away and sighing.  
  
"Why do they have to do that? It's so annoying, like we don't even exist..." Ian grumbled, analysing his blade for any major damage.  
  
"I don't know, but lets not go into that again ok?" Spencer replied, leaning back and bringing out Seaborg from his pocket; he admired the bit chip and wondered what he should do to make his attacks more powerful and effective before the tournament. "Oh, that reminds me!" the blonde exclaimed, bolting upright and gaining everyone's attention. "I heard on the radio today the BBA are bringing the tournament forward, apparently because not enough teams are free on the scheduled date," he explained.  
  
"Really?" Tala asked, pulling away from Ray. "How far forward?"  
  
"I think they said a week or so, maybe less."  
  
"A week! But that's not enough time to practice!" Ian yelled, staring intently at his team captain. "Is it, Tala?"  
  
"Hmm...well it doesn't matter, does it? We're just going to have to practice harder now and work out a new schedule until we get the invitation to the play-offs..." he muttered, wondering whether the Bladebreakers had heard this news as well.  
  
"Come on then, we'd better get practicing..." Ray commented, taking Driger from his pocket and adjusting the new base to see how well it would work. While Spencer and Ian worked together with their blades, the dark haired Chinese teen edged over to Tala and whispered something.  
  
"I saw Aki upstairs..." he began, gaining the Russian's attention straight away. He looked anxious as he waited for a continuation. "And she seemed hurt...like physically hurt. I saw a big bruise on her face and it looked like she had been crying...do you know anything about that?" he asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his words.  
  
Tala paused. What would he say? Ray knows he went upstairs earlier but would he have seen Aki? He had to think of a reply and fast.  
  
"Oh, yeah that. She was reaching for a full wash basket on that tall shelf in our room and it came crashing down...that's how she got the bruise and she was crying because it had hurt so much, I went up there and saw what had happened and I gave her some medicine. She should be ok now," he lied. Although he had to admit to himself, it was a rather convincing lie.  
  
"Oh, I see...but she wouldn't talk to me while I was up there. She seemed scared somehow, do you know why that is?" Ray queried further, gazing intently at the crimson haired blader.  
  
"Most probably embarrassment, you know how she is..." he fibbed, watching his lover's expression for any hint of mistrust. Luckily, there was none and Ray smiled.  
  
"Poor girl, she shouldn't be embarrassed!" he answered, none the wiser.  
  
"I know, but that's the way she is..."  
  
"Fair enough, now lets get to training! My Driger's all worked up and ready to fight!" he exclaimed, dragging Tala to the stadium where he fit his blade into its launcher and smirked at his rival; Tala grinned equally and held his gun like launcher in a pale hand, Wolborg hopefully had some time to regain strength and he definitely wouldn't go easy on Ray, even if they were a couple.  
  
The tournament wasn't far away now, and it was only a matter of time before Ray would face his former teammates in battle; would they go easy on each other after everything they'd been through together, or fight with vigour from pure betrayal? Only time would tell...

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Goddess: So, you like?  
  
Tala: I didn't know I could be so evil ''  
  
Goddess: Well, if you would like a further instalment then please R&R!!  
  
Tala: prays for no evil laugh  
  
Goddess: .....MUAH HA HAAAA!!  
  
Tala: I don't understand.... --;; 


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